Toy



JUIYM, 1942*- s. A; BAKALYAR 2,289,690`

TOY

' Filed June 8, 1959 be alf Z ff y f5 f di f f 1 f, l, :giga/f 4I I Aw7J 5,2" W rf El Jr" u f v l .r-EI TW///// A2116 Patented July 14, 1942UNITED STATES PATENT FFICEl 'roy y Stephen A. Bakalyar, Des Moines, IowaApplication June 8, 1939, Serial No. 278,109

(Cl. I6-174) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved toy which is particularly adaptedto be used by small children for the purpose of amusement.

The object of my invention is to provide a toy formed in one or morebase sections, each of which is provided with a series of pivotedupright blocks or figures so spaced apart that when one of the endfigures of a row of iigures is tipped over, it will engage an adjacentone, which in turn will engage the one adjacent to it and cause thewhole row of figures to be moved in succession to substantiallyhorizontal positions with the end of each ligure overlapping an adjacentfigure, the figures to be made of such substance or materia] that asound will be created as one of the members engages another, and therebyproduce a series of sounds simultaneously with the falling gures.

A further object is to provide in connection with toy units of the'typeabove described, means whereby all of the fallen figures may be restoredto their vertical positions by means of a single manipulated device andwherein the giires will be restored progressively from one endto theother.

A further object of my invention' is to provide a more specicarrangement wherein the base is provided with a series of pivotedupright figures adapted to fall in either of two opposite directions,and to provide in connection therewith J manually operated means wherebythe figures may be supported in their upright positions against fallingin either one of the two directions, and further in connectiontherewith, means for uprighting said figures when fallen to either ofthe two horizontally inclined positions.

My invention consists in the construction, a1'- rangement andcombination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objectscontemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointedout in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a form of my improved toy employing arigid base in which the upright gures are free to swing in either of twodirections.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View of the same showingthe manner in which the means for locking the units in upright positionsare moved to inoperative positions.

Figure 3 is another vertical sectional View showing the locking bar inoperative position to lock the upright members against movement in onedirection.

Figure 4 is a plan View of Figure 7.

iii)

Vportion of the body a longitudinally extending groove 26 for receivinga slide bar 21, each endof said bar being provided with a trip device".Supported between the ange's 25 is a series of upright gures 28, each ofwhich has its lower end pivoted between the anges 25 by means of pivots29, said pivots beinglocated centrally between the front and back edgesof said blocks so that the blocks may be free to swing either forwardlyor backwardly from upright positions; With said blocks 28 in an uprightposition with one lower corner resting on a respective lug 36, it willbe seen that if the left hand block 28' f Figure l is tilted to theright against the first adjacent block, the force thereof will cause thesecond block to be tilted over against av thirdblock and in like mannerall of the blocks supported by the base 24 to be moved substantially toa horizontally inclined position, with the right hand end block restingon a stationary support 31 carried by the flanges 25. The engagemeritfone block against the other will cause a sound, and a series of soundswill result in close succssion as the blocks are tilted. over to theirinclined positions, very much to the amusement of the' player.

The bottom, end of each of the blocks 28 has formed therein a notch 30.Fixed to each of the blocks Z8 in the upper edge of the notchY 30 is aneyelet 3| from which is supported a rubber band or other iiexibleelement 32, which is also passed through an eyelet 33 on the upper edgeof the slide bar 21.

I have also provided in the body 2B a g'iov 34 for receiving a slide bar35, said slide br`35 having on its upper surface lugs 36, one to en``gage the lower end of each of the mrriebers 28 when the slide bar is inone position of its mt'ement, see Fig. 3, said slide bar being adaptedto be so adjusted that the lugs 36 will engage only one edge of thelower end of the corresponding members 28 to prevent said blocks fromswinging in an anticlo'ckwise direction when in an upright position asillustrated in said gure. However,- it will be seen that if the bar 35is movedl longitu= dinally to the right a slight distance, the upperedges of the lugs 36 will engage the opposite edges of the lower ends ofthe corresponding blcks- 2 and lock the blocks against tilting in aclockwise direction. It will further be seen that if the bar 21 is movedto the left, as viewed in Figure 3, the bands 32 will be stretched andthe blocks 28 supported to their upright positions as illustrated insolid lines. However, if the bar 21 is moved to the right, tension willbe released from said bands. If the bar 21 is then again moved to theleft, with the blocks 28 in their inclined positions tension will beapplied to the bands 32 and the movement of the said bar 21 limited bymeans of a pin 38, with the bands 32 passing the pivot centers 29 orclose thereto, at which time said bands may be considered as being ondead center and the tension of the bands will not at that time tend toraise the blocks to their upright positions to any appreciable extent,as shown by dotted lines in Figure 3. However, if the rst block at theright hand end is elevated a slight distance by means of a trip device44 carried by the righthand end of the bar 21 as said bar is moved tothe left just before the said bar reaches its limit of movement, thenthe right hand band 32 connecting the right hand block will move pastits dead center position and impart lifting power to the block to moveit to its elevated position. The upward movement of said block will thenelevate the adjacent block to the left with the latter block supportedon the former a slight distance, permitting the corresponding band 32 topass its dead center position and the said block to be elevated to itsupright position. In this manner the entire row of blocks will beelevated in a progressive manner from the right to the left.

If it is desired to reverse the direction of tilte ing of the blocks thebar 35 is moved to its reverse position of movement, or to the right, asillustrated in Figure 3, at which time the bar 21 is then moved to theright instead of the left, to elevate the blocks.

The ends of the bars 21 are provided with notches 39 and the bar 35 witha notch 4l) for receiving tongue portions 4I and 42 formed on theopposite ends of the bars of another base section for connecting thebars of one section with the bars of another section by means ofsuitable pins and openings 43 in said members, whereby all of the slidebars of all of the base sectionsmay be operated simultaneously, thusproviding means whereby the blocks may be tilted from an uprightposition to an inclined horizontal position progressively from one endof the series of sections to another. I'hus it will be seen I haveprovided a toy of comparatively simple construction which may be formedprincipally of wood, if so desired, and which provides means whereby avarious number of combinations of arrangement of the base sections maybe had and wherein the blocks or gures may tip from an upright positionto a substantially horizontal position progressively from one end to theother, at the same time making a series of sounds as the blocks engageeach other.

If it is desired the bar may be moved to an intermediate position, asillustrated in Figure 2, wherein the lugs 36 are substantially midwaybetween the blocks 28 and out of engagement with the corners of saidblocks. Then it will be seen that if the bar 21 is actuated to the leftthe said blocks will be moved to their upright positions, after whichthey will fall by gravity to an inclined position toward the left handend of the series, thus providing means whereby the blocks may be tiltedeither to the right or left by simply oscillating the bar 21.

In the specification and claims I have used the term blocks to designatethe upright members. However, it should be understood that the said termblocks as used in the claims would apply to any other shaped gure thatmight be substituted for the rectangular blocks illustrated. Forinstance, instead of such rectangular blocks a series of blocks shapedto indicate soldiers might be substituted or they might be shaped torepresent numerals or other figures without departing from the inventivethought.

I claim as my invention:

1. A toy, comprising a base portion, a series of spaced upright blockshaving their lower ends pivoted to said base to permit the upper ends ofsaid blocks to swing to inclined positions in one direction, means forpreventing said blocks from swinging in the opposite direction when insaid upright positions, said blocks being spaced apart such a distanceas to permit a falling block at one end of a row of blocks to engage anadjacent upright block and cause it to tip over, and means mounted toslide longitudinally of said base to return the fallen blocksprogressively to their normal upright positions.

2. A toy, comprising a base portion, a series of spaced upright blockshaving their lower ends pivoted to said base to permit the upper ends ofsaid blocks to swing to inclined positions in one direction, said blocksbeing spaced apart such distance as to permit a falling block at one endof a row of blocks to engage an adjacent upright block and cause it totip over, and with it successively all of the upright blocks of the row,means mounted to slide longitudinally to limit the blocks againstfalling over in either one of two opposite directions when in an uprightposition, and means mounted to slide longitudinally of said base toreturn the fallen blocks progressively to their normal uprightpositions.

3. In a device of the class described, a base having upturned flanges ateach side, a central longitudinal groove in its upper surface, a seriesof upright blocks, each having a central vertical notch in its lowerend, means pivoting the lower ends of said blocks to said upturnedflanges at spaced intervals less than the height of the blocks, meanslimiting the blocks against swinging in one direction, a slide bar insaid longitudinal groove, yieldable means connecting the upper ends ofeach of the notched portions of said blocks to said slide bar wherebymovement of said slide bar will cause tension to be applied to all ofthe yieldable connecting means.

4. A toy, comprising an elongated base, a series of blocks having theirlower ends pivoted transversely to said base to permit them to swingfrom said upright positions to substantially horizontal positions withthe free end of each block overlapping the pivoted end of an adjacentblock, means for supporting said blocks when in an upright positionagainst falling over in one ldirection, manually operated means forapplying longitudinal and yielding tension to each block while in itsinclined position tending to hold them in their overlapping positions,also tending to elevate the free ends of said blocks when said free endshave been elevated a slight distance.

5. A toy, comprising a base portion, a series of spaced upright blockshaving their lower ends pivoted to said base to permit the upper ends ofsaid blocks to swing to inclined positions in one direction, means forpreventing said blocks from swinging in the opposite direction when insaid upright positions, said blocks being spaced apart such distance asto permitl the falling block at one end of -a row of blocks to engage anadjacent upright block and cause it to tip over, and with itsuccessively all of the upright blocks of the row, to produce a seriesof sounds in rapid succession by the engagement of blocks one withanother, and manually operated mechanical means for progressivelyreturning the fallen blocks to their normal upright positions.

6. A toy, comprising a plurality of base portions, a series of spacedupright blocks having their lower ends pivoted to corresponding bases topermit the upper ends of said blocks to swing to inclined positions inone direction, means for preventing said blocks from swinging in theopposite direction when in said upright positions, said blocks beingspaced apart such a distance as to permit a falling block at one end ofa row of blocks to engage an adjacent upright block and cause it to tipover, means slidably mounted in each of said bases to return the fallenblocks to their normal upright positions, and means for operativelyconnecting the slidable means of one base with the slidable means of anadjoining base.

STEPHEN A. BAKALYAR.

